Crystal Palace were held to a frustrating goalless draw at home to AEK Larnaca in the first leg of their Uefa Conference League last-16 tie.
Last season’s FA Cup winners dominated with more than 70% possession and 13 shots but were unable to find the breakthrough.
Goalkeeper Reacts
AEK Larnaca goalkeeper Zlatan Alomerovic, speaking to TNT Sports, said: “We understand we are the underdog so, for us, it was a game to sacrifice, to be low and hope to have some counter-attacks or set-pieces.
“We understand the bigger quality is with Crystal Palace.”
Alomerovic made two fine reaction saves in the first half but added: “The first chance the ball hit me in the shoulder and the second I tried to cover as much as possible, I had luck the ball hit me – I’ll take the clean sheet back to Cyprus.”
Asked why Palace found it hard to score, he added: “The weather conditions were very strange, the wind is going left to right and circling.
“Everyone knows defending low with a five makes it very difficult to create chances. That was the plan. We are happy with the result and we’ll see what happens in Cyprus.”
Palace’s Frustrations
In a first half that saw the Cypriot side fail to register a shot, Palace should have been ahead inside eight minutes when Evann Guessand was denied by Zlatan Alomerovic after connecting with Jorgen Strand Larsen’s delivery inside the area.
Palace continued to push for a breakthrough as Larsen and Ismaila Sarr both went close before Alomerovic produced his second stunning save of the night to deny defender Tyrick Mitchell at the back post.
The home side encountered more of the same frustrations in the second half as they struggled to break down the visitors’ rigid, five-man defence.
Sarr and Chris Richards headed off target from a pair of wicked deliveries from January signing Brennan Johnson, before Palace brought on Jean-Philippe Mateta for the final 15 minutes.
On his first appearance for the club since a failed move to AC Milan in January, the France international was met with jeers from sections of the Palace fans inside Selhurst Park.
But he almost turned those jeers to cheers, nearly poking Guessand’s cross home less than two minutes after his arrival.
Looking Ahead
The winners of the tie will face either Fiorentina or Poland’s Rakow Czestochowa with the Italian side leading 2-1 after the first leg in Florence.